Femicide in War and Peace

This book discusses the phenomenon of femicide―the killing of women globally because of their gender―in peacetime and in war.

Femicide in war is different from femicide in peace, and yet the dividing line between the two is thin. Violence against women happens in many forms―from emotional, psychological, and financial abuse, and barriers to personal autonomy, to physical and sexual abuse terminating in murder. It includes infanticide, sex selection, misogynistic laws and cultural practices and can include genital mutilation, forced sterilization, or forced pregnancy. Women experience these forms of violence during peacetime, as well as in times of crisis, conflict, or national insecurity. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in violence against women, as they were thrown back to their violent partners, who were released from jail because of the global plague.

This volume draws upon cases from both Global North and Global South to give a detailed view of crimes against women and how femicide is perceived in different countries. It brings together scholars from diverse countries and disciplines and from many parts of the world where femicide has never or rarely been reported. This book will be a beneficial read for advanced students and researchers of Gender Studies, War and Conflict Studies, and Terrorism. It was originally published in Peace Review.

Shalva Weil is a Senior Researcher at the Seymour Fox School of Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and Research Fellow in the Department of Biblical and Ancient Stuides, UNISA (University of South Africa).